Now some people in the Forest of Dean have asked if the lights could be causing a humming noise and question if the new LED system can interfere with alarms and wi-fi.

Homeowners are told the LED lights in the home are incompatible with old dimmer switches and one resident said it took three weeks of switching frequency before it stopped causing issues with their alarm.

Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: “Our LED street light roll out is well on track for completion before the end of March 2019.

“The majority of street lights in residential areas within Cinderford have already been replaced with LED. There are however a number of street lights on wood poles or mounted on buildings that are still due for replacement.

“The system we use does not usually cause humming or interference with WiFi. However, if residents think that there is a problem I would ask them to contact 08000 514514 and we will investigate.”

LED street lights, stock picture

The Science:Councils across the country are choosing LED lights because they use less energy, so they are cheaper to operate and more environmentally friendly than conventional sodium bulbs.

In Gloucestershire the energy bill for 60,000 streetlights is £2 million a year and rising.

While conventional sodium street lamps light up when an electric current is passed through lithium gas, making it glow, lamps powered by LEDs — light-emitting diodes — glow when current passes through a solid material such as gallium, known as a semiconductor.

They use up to 60 per cent less energy than sodium lamps and are said to last up to eight times longer, reducing maintenance costs and halving electricity bills.

LEDs produce light immediately they are switched on rather than taking time to heat up, and can be controlled remotely via digital sensors.

Supporters say the quality of light is better because it can be focussed or dimmed to any level of light output with a corresponding decrease in energy use.

Supporters say the CMS system used on Gloucestershire operates on very different frequencies to household Wi-Fi systems.

Humming would normally be associated with electrical equipment that operates with wire wound ballasts or transformers and require high currents to operate. LED street lights do not incorporate such equipment or act in this way.